Slipped Away
by AppleDanish
Summary: Songfic: After a war in the ghost zone, Vlad passes away and Danny feels a void that was always empty. He can't really see life without his former enemy anymore. But can be believe Vlad's not really gone? V/D it's not yaoi, though father/son pairing R


**Slipped Away**

**By DannyTimmygirl327**

**Summary: This is kinda a V/D story, but it's a father/son one (of course XD). Anyway, both of them ended up in a battle for their lives. For what the ghostly battle ended in a bloody victory, Danny left with his life, but unfortunately, Vlad didn't. A few weeks later, after his funeral, Danny just can't help but think about everything that Vlad never had. He never had real love, the woman he always wanted or… a son. Danny just feels that it's his fault for his death because he never gave Vlad what he wanted and needed- a son to love and cherish forever. It may be too late for him, but can Danny possibly restore any damage that was done to Vlad's very soul, or will it all be permanent? It has one of my favorite songs (I have many favorite songs :D) 'Slipped Away' by Avril Lavigne. I don't own 'Slipped Away' or Danny Phantom. Read, review and enjoy! *A/N- all words in italics are thoughts and the lyrics.***

_Na na… na na na, na na…. _

_I miss you,_

_Miss you so bad._

_I don't forget you,_

_Oh, it's so sad…_

"_Daniel!!" Vlad called out in the mist of the war. He fought off single-handedly ghost guards with his fists and arms. Even though he was warring off against Walker and about thousands of other ghosts that were destroying everything in the Ghost Zone, his mind was set on finding one particular person-_

_Danny._

"_Daniel! Where are you?!" He called out again, tears forming in his eyes. Around him, other ghosts were battling against each other, green ectoplasm flying everywhere along with ghost rays and weapons. He finally took off in search for Danny. He forgot about everything that was happening to him and everyone that was throwing attacks at each other. "__**DANNY!!!" **__He screamed at the top of his lungs._

"…_Vlad…?" A weak voice he faintly heard from the screaming and blasting. Without a second thought, Vlad took off running in his direction. "If you can hear me, just scream!" He said, blood pumping in his legs. Suddenly, Danny let out a pained scream, coming from the prison itself. _

"_Hang on, Daniel!" He cried. He finally remembered he was half ghost and he could fly. He mentally smacked himself in the face, bent both knees and took off flying through the air. He phased through the wall and followed Danny's screams all the way to the source of the problem itself-_

_Walker's office._

_He growled in disgust, knowing that Walker was probably torturing Danny right now. _

"_I had a feeling you'd come, Plasmius." He heard Walker's voice hiss, standing in front of him. Vlad scowled, grabbed Walker by his shirt collar and demanded in a heavy, venomous voice, "Where. Is. He?" _

_Walker just chuckled darkly. "You really do care, don't you?"_

_Vlad grabbed his harder, digging his nails in his skin. "The hell I don't! Now, where the hell is Daniel?!?" He growled, tears forming in his eyes. _

_Walker pushed him away. He smirked and whispered, "If you want to see him so badly, then here he is…" He gestured his hand towards a figure, which was bloodied up, broken and shivering violently. _

_Vlad slowly eased his way over to the figure. "Daniel…?" He whispered gently, reaching his hand out. Sure enough, Danny glanced up, blood and bruises covering his face. His clothes were torn in several places. He looked so injured, that he should have changed back into human form. "H-help…m-me…" He hiccupped, dark blood trickling from his lips. He let out a harsh cough, red and green blood flying all over the floor. _

_Vlad kneeled down and placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay…" He lifted Danny in his arms, who seemed to be reluctant at first, but slowly relaxed at his touch. _

"_Well, isn't this a sweet and touching moment," Walker mocked, looking onto Vlad tending to Danny. "But you do know… that I refuse to lose anymore of my prisoners…" Without warning, he picked up a gun-like weapon and aimed it at them. Vlad nimbly, but barely missed the blast. He jumped out of the way and phased them through the wall. Walker smirked, knowing someone wasn't going to make it out alive. _

"_Hold on, Daniel." Vlad whispered, feeling Danny weakening in his very embrace. He sighed and led them to a secluded area, just behind the prison yard. He sat Danny gently down on the ground and investigated his injures. Sure enough, he needed bandages and peroxide- badly. Fortunately, with his ghost powers, he'd be able to heal quickly._

_However, his wrist was badly broken, twisted in the opposite direction. Vlad winced at the sight before carefully placing his wrist in between his fingers. Suddenly, Danny cried out, hissing at the pain. Vlad quickly let go, making the pain even worse. "It hurts…!" He cried, his eyes closed tightly. _

_Vlad sighed. He knew he couldn't fix Danny's wrist without serious medical attention himself, let alone touch it without the boy feeling excruciating pain. _

"_Daniel, calm down, okay? You need medical attention, right away." He explained. Danny looked up, baby blue eyes filled with pain and confusion. _

"_Can you… help me?" He mumbled, lifting his arm the best he could. _

_Vlad carefully took the same motion he did before. Danny winced at the pain again, but refused to cry out. He touched the side of his wrist gently, before glancing up at Danny and warned, "This is gonna hurt a lot, okay?" Danny nodded, bracing himself. Vlad circled his wrist once again before grabbing it and twisting it as hard as he could. Danny bit his bottom lip as hard as he could, drawing blood. He squeezed his eyes as tightly as he could. "Damn…" He hissed, tears falling from his eyes. Finally, the pain ceased and his wrist was in much better shape. _

"_Better?" Vlad asked, setting his hand down on the other one. Danny opened his eyes and smiled. "Thanks." He whispered, rubbing his wrist in his hand gently._

_Suddenly, an explosion filled the air along with green smoke. They quickly ran towards the sound, wondering if the war was finally coming to an end. Little did they know, it wasn't over yet._

_A crowd of vicious, angry ghosts quickly erupted from the prison. "Let's go!" Vlad cried out, grabbing Danny by the other arm and guiding him through the crowd. Suddenly, another blast filled the air, this time coming in their direction. Vlad accidentally tripped over something and fell to the ground, along with Danny behind him. _

"_I told you my prisoners never escape…" Walker growled, stepping in front of them. He aimed the gun at Vlad, hissing, "Goodbye, traitor." _

_With that, a final shot filled the air, along with Danny's conscious and Vlad's life._

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

_I hope you can hear me,_

_I remember it clearly…_

_The day you slipped away…_

_Was the day_

_I found it won't be the same_

The memory of Vlad's death haunted Danny, even after he returned home and was patched up. The day of the funeral wasn't the same as every other day. Many people came to pay their respects to the fallen half-ghost of a soldier. Of course, Danny's father sobbed with the loss of his best friend. Even his mother cried. His friends and sister looked on with sorrowed faces while Danny lay the final red rose on his grave.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, a tear managing to escape from his eye. He let it fall on the ground, quickly wiping it away.

After the funeral, everyone except Danny retreated. He stood there in front of the stone, letting the sudden downpour of rain fall upon him. He reread it over and over again, not believing that it was there:

_Vladimir D. Masters_

_November 15__th__, 1962- September 23__rd__, 2008_

_A bold leader, whom we never come to know._

_May your soul rest in peace._

"Why?" He whispered in a small voice. He never got to understand why Vlad was so miserable. I mean, he could find anyone out there who was willing to love him plus all the money he could contain not to mention his own business. But he just wasted all his rage on his best friend who married the woman he loved over 20 years ago and had two beautiful children by her. He even wanted Danny as his son. Of course, he'd never get that, but he could have had a son of his own, if he learned to love someone else instead of just waiting for a woman who was gone forever from his heart and hopes.

Then, it hit him.

When Danny was captured by him, finding out Danielle was his clone and he wanted to create the perfect half-ghost son, he remembered what Vlad said:

"_All I ever wanted… was love."_

"That's all you ever wanted…?" Danny whispered. He knew Vlad couldn't hear him, but he was sure that he knew what he was saying.

But that one day, when he faded away from his life…

Was the day that Vlad Masters slipped away from Danny Fenton's life.

He slipped away without anyone to love him…

And that could never change anymore.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

_Na na… na na na, na na…_

_I didn't get around to kiss you,_

_goodbye on the hand._

_I wish that I could see you again_

_I know that I can't._

A few weeks later, after Vlad passed away, Danny traveled to his home, wondering what they were doing with his mansion. Strangely enough, the home was abandoned. Danny raised an eyebrow in confusion. True, his death had been the center of news reporters for quite a while, now, but it was odd that his mansion wasn't being searched or anything.

Danny went intangible and flew through the house. He made his way up to his vacant room. He became visible again and changed back. He walked around in human form inspecting the room even more. He chuckled when he spotted the plush doll of his mother perched on the bed. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him. He ran from the room and down the hall, finding the room that he occupied during the family's first visit. He opened the door and walked into the room. Everything was still in place, but there was a note on the bed. He picked up the piece of paper and began to read:

_Dear Daniel,_

_I wrote this before the war in the Ghost Zone will happen. I know about this because Clockwork managed to pay me a visit, just like he did to you. I was going to give this to you, but seeing that we are supposed to be bitter rivals, I really need to tell you this here and now before we risk our lives to save others:_

_Daniel… I really do care for you. Not just in the sense that I want your mother for mine and your father dead, but… I really see you as my son. When I look into your baby blue eyes, they remind me of myself, when I was 14. Of course, I wasn't as blessed as you; I had a rotten childhood what with my father murdering my mother and abusing me. But when I see the pain in your eyes, I can't help but fight off the urge to wipe away your tears. I just want to hug you tightly and never let go. I want to comfort you with words of compassion when you cry out. I wanted to tuck you in at night when you were little, just like your mother did. I wanted to tend to you when you were sick, but most importantly…_

_I wanted to love you._

_I know you may not accept this, but I really wanted to. I can't help but feel this sorrow and emptiness inside. But whenever I see or even hear the mention of your name, that void I desperately needed for a child of my own-_

_Was filled._

_You may have your father's love, but I have the same love for you as he does. My heart goes out to you, Daniel. I can't explain it all in this letter, but I hope you can at least accept me as your own. You may call me your 'uncle' if you accept this, but I will always give you my fatherly love._

_Love,_

_Vlad Masters_

Danny stared at the letter for a few minutes before the words became blurred. He tossed the letter aside and started to shake.

Suddenly, he lost control.

He violently swiped the blankets and sheets from the bed. He ran over to the dresser and shoved everything off the surface. He flipped over the dresser, causing it to crash to the ground. He punched the mirror with his fist, glass shattering to the floor.

With a pained scream, he opened the closet and stripped the closet of all the clothes off the hangers. He kicked over the table and tore the curtains from the window.

Finally, he calmed down.

Danny grabbed the letter and slid to the floor. His back was leaning against the bed, the letter clutched to his chest. He threw his head back and sobbed. Tears fell heavily from his eyes.

"Uncle Vlad…" He whispered, crying harder than ever.

_Oh,_

_I hope you can hear me,_

_Cause I remember it clearly…_

_The day you slipped away_

_Was the day_

_I found it won't be the same_

Danny fingered through Vlad's closet, seeing nothing but the black suits he used to wear. He pulled out one of them, then walked over to his dresser and pulled out a crisp, neatly folded white shirt. He searched through the drawers, spotting his red tie. He walked back to the closet and retrieved his polished shoes. He carefully removed his own shirt and pulled on the white undershirt. He pulled on the black jacket, followed by the matching dress pants. He kicked off his shoes and slid his feet in the polished loafers. He buttoned the jacket to the dip in his neck and tied the bow around the cuff of the shirt.

Finally, Danny picked up a brush and a rubberband. He brushed out his hair, which reached his shoulders now, and pulled his hair back in a messy ponytail.

He walked over to the mirror, careful not to trip over the pants legs. He stared at his reflection, smiling at the strange resemblance. He modestly pushed up the jacket with his thumbs, a model-like grin on his face. His hair still fell over his face but the rest of it pulled over his shoulder. The clothes looked about a size too big on him, but he knew one day he'd grow into them.

Suddenly, Danny felt like, after he met Vlad, he was the one who was his second father. Whenever he thought about the dangers and new developments of his ghost powers, Vlad's name came to mind. He always wanted to ask him so many questions, wanted to train with him and let him open so many doors for him.

But he knew that if he did, he'd have to leave and surrender everything he ever loved and cherished.

And his heart just wasn't that strong.

Danny sat on the edge of the bed, sighing. He took in his surroundings. He knew, sooner or later, someone would be searching for him, but he told Jazz to tell their parents that he was over Sam's house, just hanging out for a while.

He pulled the sleeves over his hands and rubbed them against his face, taking in all the warmth he could. He closed his eyes and took in with every breath, the fabric's smell. It was a faint scent of cologne that didn't seem to be familiar, but he knew it well.

He finally opened his eyes and fingered the loose thread of the bowtie. He twisted it around his finger before pulling the curl apart. He smiled a little at his child-like ways.

Danny rocked back and forth some more, humming a familiar song he listened to when someone close to him was gone.

He wrapped his arms around his body, closing his eyes and continuing to hum. The same, sad smile was placed on his lips as fresh tears began falling down his cheeks.

He felt pure serenity and was completely satisfied with his own comfort before falling on the bed and gently falling asleep.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

_I had my wake up_

_Won't you wake up?_

_I keep asking 'why'?_

_And I can't take it_

_It wasn't fake it_

_It happened you passed by…_

"Danny?" A sweet voice whispered to him.

Danny slowly opened his eyes, blinking his eyes for a second before waking up. He realized that he was in his own room, dressed in his regular clothing with a blanket covering him. He was completely dazed and confused. He could've sworn that he was still at Vlad's house, dressed in his clothes and falling asleep on his bed.

"What…?" He whispered, slowly sitting up. Jazz sat beside him. "I came up here to see if you were still gone. You fell asleep on your bed so I just tucked you in and left a few hours ago." She explained, wrapping her arm around his shoulders.

Danny sighed and hugged his knees to his chest. Jazz gave him a sympathetic look. "You miss him, don't you?" She whispered.

He pushed the blanket from his body and began pacing around. "it's my fault! I mean, if I wasn't so weak, maybe we both could've left with our lives! We could still be bitter enemies right now, battling for good or evil! We could still have our little banters, me talking about how lonely he is and him making smart remarks about our parents! We could-" Suddenly, he felt strong arms wrap around him tightly.

"You miss those days, huh? When everything was the same?" Jazz whispered, rocking him gently.

"We could've been so different… so alike…" Danny mumbled, his voice dying off.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

_Now you're gone_

_Now you're gone_

_There you go_

_There you go_

_Somewhere I can't bring you back…_

_Now you're gone_

_Now you're gone_

_There you go _

_There you go_

_Somewhere you're not comin' back…_

Just like every Saturday, Danny visited the grave, this time with the letter in his hands. His ebony black hair blew in the breeze along with the rhythm his black and green scarf. Dead leaves crunched underneath his sneakers as he walked along.

He reached the grave and stood there. For a minute, Danny stared into the sky, thinking about what he should say.

"Okay… I'm just gonna say this once: why did you give this to me?" He asked, as though he was waiting for an answer.

Silence crept through the graveyard.

"Answer me!" He cried. His voice was strained with despair.

When he never received the answer, Danny gave up and walked away.

"_I never gave you the letter, Daniel."_

Danny stopped dead in his tracks. He could've sworn he heard Vlad answer him back. "I must be going crazy," He mumbled, continuing on.

"_Well, Daniel, aren't you gonna answer me?"_

Danny whipped around. Then, right before his eyes was a man, about a head taller than him, in his jet black suit, polished shoes, red bowtie, and graying ponytail swinging in the breeze. This time, his jacket was a button-down coat and a red and blue scarf lined his neck. His soft, Sapphire eyes glistened in the dimmed outside light. The only difference between a real human and himself was his bright, ghostly glow.

He walked over to Danny, then stopped right in front of him. _"Aren't you going to answer, little badger?" _He whispered, giving him a slight mocking tone in his voice.

"Y-you're not real…" Danny whispered. Suddenly, he threw punches at Vlad, trying so hard to let all his rage, frustration and pain out on him. Of course, it didn't work, seeing as Vlad was just left as a soul now.

Without thinking, Vlad grabbed Danny's wrists. Danny looked up with tear-glazed eyes. He eased his arms to his side. "W-why… how…?" He asked, his expression in complete shock.

Vlad chuckled. _"What, Daniel, don't you know that souls can come back?" _He replied.

Danny stared at him, unbearable to even realize that what or even who he was looking at was Vlad. He then asked, "Why are you here?"

"_To watch over you, of course. Honestly, I couldn't just leave you alone to half destroy yourself in the development of your powers, now could I?" _Vlad said, shrugging his shoulders. Danny shook his head. He probably looked foolish; speaking to someone who was just a soul, let alone he was the only one who could see him.

Finally, he repeated his question:

"Why did you give me this?"

Vlad motioned for him to walk alongside him. Danny reluctantly obeyed and followed Vlad through the graveyard.

"_I didn't give it to you… yet. I was planning to, but I decided to wait until after the war, when everything would be all said and done. Unfortunately, when I died, I remembered the letter, so I left it up to you to find it. Sure enough, it was a sign that I was and will always be there for you." _He explained.

"So… you meant all that?" Danny asked.

"_Of course, Daniel. I do care for you like my own and I always will…" _Vlad pulled Danny close to his side.

"But how can I-" Danny was about to say, when Vlad interrupted him.

"_Touch me."_

"What?"

"_Touch me. See that I am here." _Vlad commanded. He placed his hand on Danny's chest, feeling his heartbeat. _"I can feel yours, now you feel mine." _He whispered, smiling gently.

Danny slowly pulled his hand over to Vlad, reached out, and surprisingly, was able to touch his chest. He could feel a warm beating inside…

Just like a heartbeat.

"You are real." He whispered in awe. Vlad nodded and pulled Danny into his arms, giving him a heartfelt hug.

Danny managed to pull his own arms around him and whispered, "Don't ever leave me again…"

"_I would never dream of it, my son." _Vlad replied.

"I miss you…"

"_Goodbye, Daniel… I'll always be with you…"_

Danny finally released Vlad, who disappeared into thin air. He smiled and walked out of the graveyard, finally feeling the empty feeling in his heart fill since Vlad died.

"I need you… and I love you."

_The day you slipped away_

_Was the day_

_I found it won't be the same…._

_No…._

_The day you slipped away_

_Was the day_

_I found it won't be the same…_

_Oh…_

_Na na… na na na, na na…_

_I miss you._

**Total time: from 6:14pm- 10:56pm on Friday, November 14, 2008. I finally finished! W00t! Now, to watch the real Danny Phantom on TV! XD I'm having writer's block on my latest story, so I'll update as soon as I can! Also, read and review! This took me forever to write! XD**


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